This week the South Dakota Supreme Court issued a pair of criminal sentencing cases. They are the kind of cases that, on the surface, don’t seem that interesting. Yet, when you look deeper into the cases, they highlight some deeper issues within the...

For those of us who practice in criminal law and do any work with sex offenses, the questions that come up regarding registry issues can be vast and complex. Often the kneejerk answer to registry questions boils down to, “You were convicted of a sex...

The South Dakota Supreme Court has recently issued two decisions that advance and protect the rights of persons accused of crimes in South Dakota. Both of these cases came out of Rapid City, and both involved the police using unconstitutional means...

Almost a year and half after the United States Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Missouri v. McNeely, the South Dakota Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision affirming the rights of drivers not to be forced to give blood absent a search...

My last post discussed a recent Supreme Court victory. I represented Kyle Steiner in a habeas corpus action stemming from a child sex abuse case. After years of fighting, Kyle obtained some justice. A week after the Steiner decision was released,...